Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 30 is a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, which is essentially what the crop of BB creams from other brands offer. BB creams are said to offer skin-enhancing benefits like antioxidants, but so do many tinted moisturizer, including Barely There Sheer Matte Tint. So although this product doesn't state "BB Cream" on the label, it absolutely functions like one.

This has a creamy but light texture that slips flawlessly over skin and provides a smooth, satin-matte finish. Its sheer-coverage formula provides a hint of color to even out your complexion while still allowing your natural skin tone to show through. The broad-spectrum titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreen included will help shield your skin from harmful UV rays, making this an ideal all-in-one option for broad-spectrum sun protection and light moisturizing, plus soft color that enhances your skin. It comes in four neutral shades for fair to medium/tan skin tones.

Note: Although this tinted moisturizer provides broad-spectrum sun protection on its own, you must apply it liberally and evenly to get the stated level of protection. Sheer or spot application will not provide the amount of sun protection the label indicates. If you're not likely to apply this liberally, we recommend applying it over a moisturizer with sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater and setting with a pressed powder rated SPF 30 or greater.

Pros:

Evens out complexion while allowing natural skin tone to show through.

Provides broad-spectrum sun protection for anti-aging benefit.

Smooth, satin-matte finish with a hint of color to enliven skin.

Cons:

None.

Claims

Creamy but light texture is easy to blend and ideal for all skin types. Provides a smooth, satin matte finish with sheer coverage and a hint of color to perk up skin color. Softly evens out your complexion while allowing your natural skin tone to show through. Protects skin with a titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreen.

Disclosure: Paula Begoun is creator of Beautypedia and founder of Paula's Choice Skincare products. Reviewing thousands of skincare and makeup products over the past 30 years, both on this site and in her best-selling books, Paula's mission has always been to help consumers find the best products possible for their skin. The Beautypedia Team proudly and unequivocally maintains this commitment. In addition, The Beautypedia Team reviews all products using the same rating standards and criteria, whether it is a Paula's Choice product or another brand.

Paula's Choice Skincare was established in 1995 when best-selling beauty author and consumer advocate Paula Begoun (known as The Cosmetics Cop) decided to develop her own products. Like most of us, she was fed up with products that overpromised results, cost a lot of money, and failed to deliver—or made matters worse!

As a natural evolution of Paula's personal mission to help consumers find the best products for their skin, the line has grown into an extensive range of skincare and makeup products that are formulated to meet the needs of almost every skin type and skin concern imaginable. From acne to wrinkles, oily skin, rosacea, large pores, eczema, redness, sagging, dry skin, and on and on, Paula's Choice offers a solution.

Paula's Choice Skincare stands apart from other cosmetics brands. The formulas contain only ingredients that have substantiated, published research showing they are beneficial and effective—so you get visible results. Stable packaging is another feature of the brand, using innovative, opaque, and air-tight or air-restrictive components that keep antioxidants and other light- and air-sensitive ingredients from breaking down (unlike jar packaging, which compromises what might otherwise be an effective formula). The line is also 100% fragrance-free, which is best for all skin types, especially for those with sensitive skin or rosacea.

From cleansers to broad-spectrum sunscreens to anti-aging serums to specialized treatments, Paula's Choice Skincare has you covered from head to toe with innovative, state-of-the-art products. The brand also offers professional-quality makeup products including concealer, foundation, eyeshadow, lipstick, and more. (Paula started out as a makeup artist so she definitely knows her way around a face!)

Paula's Choice Skincare does not test on animals and also takes an environmentally friendly approach by featuring minimalist, recyclable packaging. Another plus—the Customer Service team is among the best in the industry, offering a "100% satisfaction or your money back" guarantee.

Why are all Paula's Choice Skincare products rated highly? The Paula's Choice Skincare Team would not launch a product unless it was worthy of a high rating from The Beautypedia Team. Paula and The Beautypedia Team were researching and reviewing products long before Paula's Choice Skincare ever existed and consumers were constantly requesting a skincare brand that met all of Beautypedia's criteria. As a result, The Paula's Choice Skincare Team was created and uses the same research and criteria to formulate Paula's Choice products as The Beautypedia Team uses to review products.

About the Experts

The Beautypedia Research Team is dedicated to helping you find the absolute best products for your skin, using research-based criteria to review beauty products from an honest, balanced perspective. Each member of the team was personally trained by Paula Begoun herself.

This seemed like a nice product, yet the coloring is wrong for my Asian Skin. Level 4 is the right shade yet has too much pink; Level 3 had the yellow undertone I needed yet was too light.

Recommend

Value

Results

Reviewed by

Melissa

02.22.2015

Hated it, until.....

I hated, hated, hated this. Settled into my pores and I just looked ridiculous. THEN - I got a Beautyblender in my Birchbox one month. I soaked my Beautyblender in water, squeezed it out and gave this product another shot. AND: it was gorgeous. Lovely, sheer coverage. You couldn't even tell I was wearing anything, my skin just looked perfect.

Value

Results

Recommend

Reviewed by

nennycakes

02.17.2015

Not impress

I wasn't impressed with the overall look of this on me. I really like tinted moisturizers, not this 9ne though

Recommend

Value

Results

Reviewed by

Peggy F.

10.22.2014

Full of parabens and talc!

It's full of parabens and talc...

Results

Value

Recommend

Reviewed by

Anonymous

10.22.2014

Paula's Choice Research Team Response

Actually, the amount of both is low (for the parabens, less than 1%), and neither is harmful for skin. There's plenty of research to support this; happy to send it to you!

—Admin

>

09.01.2014

Need a lighter shade

I wish this came in a lighter shade than the lightest color. I am very fair, and the lightest color is still too dark, and yellow for me. I also wish there weren't any Parabens in it! Other than those two things, I would want to keep buying this.

Results

Recommend

Value

Reviewed by

Rebekah B

08.09.2014

Extraordinary product

This product makes my skin look perfect, softening shadows and lines. I thought its dewy finish would translate to an oil slick on my T zone, but I was amazed when, at the end of the day, it looked the same as when I put it on in the morning. No touchups needed. No powder necessary. The price is astounding. Thank you, Paula!

Results

Recommend

Value

Reviewed by

Lee R.

03.03.2014

where is it?

I LIKE this product very much, covers well, and evens out your skin tone, HOWEVER... and this had become a relevant point, it's as if Paula's Choice has lowered production of this product and timely supply and deliveryis questionable at best. I may be looking for a replacement soon in one of the recommended products that I can just run out and buy.

Results

Recommend

Value

Reviewed by

Heidi C

02.23.2014

Need a lighter shade

This feels amazing and gives sheer coverage (which I prefer)...except that it needs to come in a very fair shade. I want to use this everyday! I wonder if there is a white base out there that I could mix on the back of my hand with this product to achieve the desired shade? Please, Paula's Choice, make a lighter shade. :)

Results

Value

Recommend

Reviewed by

CARRIE K.

11.30.2013

Hard to beat

It looks as if I'm wearing nothing. It only give a very sheer coverage, just enough to make your skin look a little better without anyone noticing your are wearing some tinted sun protection. It doesn't run into wrinkles and make them look worse.
I appreciate it the most when most when my skin turns a little red from Retin-A. it tones down the red but the coverage still doesn't show. It like the inflame red get a pinky healthy color.

Recommend

Results

Value

Reviewed by

CHANTAL B.

10.19.2013

Undetectable -- If You Have No Flakes

I put this on one side of my face and another TM on the other and asked my husband which looked better. He said "You don't have anything on the right side." It is truly invisible if you have no flakes. But titanium dioxide or zinc oxide in ANY product will to stick to flakes. and this was no exception. Clinique City Block Sheer is a *slightly* better value price-wise, with slightly better protection, and works for me. But I highly recommend this product. It also feels like absolutely nothing.

Results

Value

Recommend

Reviewed by

Lynne C.

09.07.2013

Amazing.

I purchased this year's ago on the promise that it was sheer. My skin is too olive to wear a mineral sunscreen without looking ghostly. This stuff is incredible. I am a man, and yet it looks like I have nothing on my face -- only smooth, satin-matte skin (not completely matte). It looks incredibly natural. 2 different shades work for me -- 2 & 3 -- because of the sheerness of color. We men have uneven skin, too, and this stuff is off-the-charts good.

Recommend

Results

Value

Reviewed by

DUSTIN R.

04.28.2013

Excellent for summer.

I was looking for an alternative to foundation in summer and ordered samples of this in light/medium and medium.Really I could wear both. Love this, it's quite thick for a TM, but in a nice way. It glides on beautifully and covers really well.Great sunscreen, no alcohol or fragrances.Just what I was looking for.Does not emphasise fine lines around eyes.As good as so called bb creams and now we have cc creams. They are all just tinted moisturisers anyway. And this is a great one!!

Results

Value

Recommend

Reviewed by

Roma

04.27.2013

I gave it a shot. I'm sure it's perfect for other folks.

My personal results for the product might not be typical, so there you go. I'm a pale lady with red/pink cheeks who doesn't really wear make up. I'm looking at tinted moisturizers/bb creams to even out my skin.
I tried some samples of this when PC equated it to a bb cream. The fair was too dark for my skin and as it dried, it turned slightly peach in color. Just didn't gel with my skin. It also offered too much coverage, for me anyway, feeling more like a foundation that a tinted moisturizer.

Results

Recommend

Value

Reviewed by

Lauren C.

03.17.2013

Love This!

I love this foundation for weekends and summers. I am surprises that despite it's sheerness, it covers nicely and gives an even skin tone. I am 58 and love how this foundation gives my skin a youthful fresh appearance.

Value

Recommend

Results

Reviewed by

Gayle

12.22.2012

A Favorite for Years

I love the sheer matte coverage of this foundation. The SPF 30 puts this off the chart in excellence. I wear Level 4, Medium/Tan, and while it isn't an "exact" match, it doesn't have to be. This gives my skin a healthy look, evens out my skin tone, and most importantly, provides reliable sunscreen when used properly. Sheer Matte Tint can be used as a primer as well, so it's multi-purpose and economical. I've tried several of the new "BB Creams" on the market, and none of them hold a candle to Sheer Matte Tint. I tell everybody about this product.